AARP endorses bill to prevent upcoding in Medicare Advantage
The No UPCODE Act was introduced by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) earlier this year. The bill would disincentivize upcoding by developing a risk-adjustment model using two years of diagnostic data as opposed to one, limiting the use of unrelated medical conditions when estimating the cost of care, and bridging the gap between how patients on Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare are assessed.
In a letter to Cassidy and Merkley, AARP senior vice president for government affairs Bill Sweeney wrote, 'While many Medicare beneficiaries appreciate the flexibility and ease of use that MA provides, we are concerned that upcoding leads to both inflated payments to insurance plans and higher premiums for American seniors.'
'These resources would be better spent strengthening Medicare, such as by providing dental, hearing, and vision coverage,' Sweeney added.
'This bill addresses a problem both Republicans and Democrats have labeled as waste, fraud, and abuse. AARP agrees the No UPCODE Act protects seniors by preserving benefits and eliminating waste,' Cassidy said in a statement Thursday. 'When companies upcode, taxpayers foot the bill and patients get nothing. That's wrong.'
While the Trump administration has railed against waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid, the vast majority of Medicare payments are made properly.
As KFF found in its analysis of fiscal year 2024 payments, 94.4 percent of Medicare Advantage payments were made properly, with improper Medicare payments totaling $54.3 billion.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
31 minutes ago
- NBC News
American doctors describe dire conditions at a Khan Younis hospital in Gaza
A pair of American volunteer doctors described to NBC News a barely coping hospital in Gaza, with bodies spread across the blood-smeared floors as medical staff struggled to treat hundreds of people who had been injured as they tried to access humanitarian aid. 'We have children who are dead on the floor and we are unable to move these patients just due to the sheer volume that we received,' Ahmed Farhat, an emergency physician from California, told NBC News in a video message Tuesday, talking about the situation at the Nasser Medical Complex in the city of Khan Younis. 'We have patients who are intubated on the floor with no sedation. We have patients who have chest tubes on the floor, patients who are bleeding out,' added Farhat, who is just under two weeks into a medical mission run by the Michigan-based Rahma Worldwide, a charity founded in 2014 that operates emergency response and humanitarian relief programs across the Middle East and Africa. His comments echo those of other doctors working in Gaza who in recent interviews with NBC News have lamented the lack of food and medicine being allowed into the enclave, amid international outrage over widespread starvation and deaths from malnutrition. Others have described aid distribution points as death traps, as a growing number of people have been killed or injured while seeking desperately needed food. Three short videos taken by Farhat in the Nasser Medical Complex on Tuesday showed dozens of people waiting for treatment on the hospital's floors. Some had tubes inserted to help them breathe, others were motionless. Citing hospital administration data, Farhat said in a text message on Wednesday that the Nasser Complex received 453 patients within a number of hours on Tuesday, and 48 of them had died. He added that his patients told him they had come under fire by Israeli forces while trying to collect aid from two sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, the U.S. and Israel-backed organization that has been mired in controversy since replacing most United Nations-run relief operations in Gaza in May. In a statement to NBC News on Wednesday, the GHF, which operates four militarized food aid distribution sites across the enclave in areas where the Israeli military is active, said aid convoys belonging to the United Nations and other organizations in the past often passed near their locations and were regularly looted by large crowds. However, it said there were 'no incidents at or near' their sites on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) could not confirm whether its aid convoys had been looted near GHF sites. NBC News has reached out to the Israeli military for comment about the casualties at Nasser Hospital. Farhat said other patients had told him they had been fired upon in another incident near Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah while seeking aid from a United Nations aid convoy that was passing through. An OCHA spokesperson did not have any details about the specific event, but said such incidents are not uncommon. Separately, the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Wednesday that 87 people had been killed and 570 injured in a series of incidents across the enclave on Tuesday. Travis Melin, an anesthesiologist from Oregon who also volunteers at the Nasser Hospital, said the number of patients on Tuesday had been 'huge.' In a text message Wednesday, he added that he had seen the highest number of casualties at the hospital during his monthlong tenure there. 'We're still doing emergency surgery on people who should have gone to the OR yesterday,' he said. The 'worst-case scenario of famine' is unfolding in the Gaza Strip under Israel's assault, the world's leading body on hunger said last week. Meanwhile, most of its residents have been driven from their homes and more than 61,000 killed, including thousands of children, according to local health officials. Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks in which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage. Nearly 1,400 people have been killed and more than 4,000 injured while seeking food, the United Nations' OCHA said in an update Tuesday. 'At least 859 people have been killed around GHF sites since the beginning of GHF's operations,' it added.
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Dozens killed seeking aid in Gaza as Israel weighs further military action
Advertisement Another escalation of the nearly 22-month war could put the lives of countless Palestinians and around 20 living Israeli hostages at risk and would draw fierce opposition both internationally and within Israel. Netanyahu's far-right coalition allies have long called for the war to be expanded and for Israel to eventually take over Gaza, relocate much of its population, and rebuild Jewish settlements there. President Trump, asked by a reporter Tuesday whether he supported the reoccupation of Gaza, said he wasn't aware of the 'suggestion' but that 'it's going to be pretty much up to Israel.' Of the 38 Palestinians killed while seeking aid, at least 28 died in the Morag Corridor, an Israeli military zone in southern Gaza where UN convoys have been repeatedly overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds in recent days, and where witnesses say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire. Advertisement The Israeli military said troops fired warning shots as Palestinians advanced toward them, and that it was not aware of any casualties. Nasser Hospital, which received the bodies, said another four people were killed in the Teina area, on a route leading to a site in southern Gaza run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor. The Al-Awda Hospital said it received the bodies of six people killed near a GHF site in central Gaza. GHF said there were no violent incidents at or near its sites and that the one in central Gaza was not open on Wednesday. It said the violence may have been related to the chaos around UN convoys. Two of the Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza City, in the north of the territory, killing 13 people there, including six children and five women, according to the Al-Ahli Hospital, which received the bodies. The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because its militants are entrenched in heavily populated areas. Israel facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine, and other goods for 2 1/2 months. Israeli and US officials said a new system was needed to prevent Hamas from siphoning off humanitarian aid. The United Nations, which has delivered aid to hundreds of distribution points across Gaza throughout the war when conditions allow, has rejected the new system, saying it forces Palestinians to travel long distances and risk their lives for food, and that it allows Israel to control who gets aid, potentially using it to advance plans for further mass displacement. Advertisement The UN human rights office said last week that some 1,400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. This week, a group of UN special rapporteurs and independent human rights experts called for the GHF to be disbanded, saying it is 'an utterly disturbing example of how humanitarian relief can be exploited for covert military and geopolitical agendas in serious breach of international law.' The experts work with the UN but do not represent the world body. The GHF called their statement 'disgraceful' and urged the UN and other aid groups to work with it 'to maximize the amount of aid being securely delivered to the Palestinian people in Gaza.' The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots when crowds threatened its forces, and GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray and fired into the air on some occasions to prevent deadly crowding at its sites. Israel's air and ground war has destroyed nearly all of Gaza's food production capabilities, leaving its people reliant on international aid. A new report by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN satellite center found that just 8.6 percent of Gaza's cropland is still accessible following sweeping Israeli evacuation orders in recent months. Just 1.5 percent is accessible and undamaged, it said. The military offensive and a breakdown in security have made it nearly impossible for anyone to safely deliver aid, and aid groups say recent Israeli measures to facilitate more assistance are far from sufficient. Advertisement Hospitals recorded four more malnutrition-related deaths over the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 193 people, including 96 children, since the war began in October 2023, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Jordan said Israeli settlers blocked roads and hurled stones at a convoy of four trucks carrying aid bound for Gaza after they drove across the border into the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israeli far-right activists have repeatedly sought to halt aid from entering Gaza. Jordanian government spokesperson Mohammed al-Momani condemned the attack, which he said had shattered the windshields of the trucks, according to the Jordanian state-run Petra News Agency. The Israeli military said security forces went to the scene to disperse the gathering and accompanied the trucks to their destination.
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Your bra might be sabotaging your health — this style is the ‘worst offender'
They lift, they separate… and they just might sabotage your health. Surveys show that 8 in 10 American women wear a bra most days, and the majority agree it's a real pain in the chest. But could your style of over-the-shoulder boulder holder be doing more harm than good? 'This is such an important question — and one we've been trained not to consider,' Bree McKeen, founder and CEO of Evelyn & Bobbie, told The Post. Advertisement 5 Studies show most women are wearing the wrong bra size, which comes with a host of consequences. – 'The truth is, most of us were never taught how to properly assess whether a bra is actually serving our bodies, we just put up with the discomfort,' she said. 'But bras can have a significant impact on our health — both physically and emotionally.' McKeen revealed five surprising ways your bra might be hurting your wellbeing and named the worst offender still lurking on store shelves today. #1 Musculoskeletal mayhem Advertisement The average woman carries between half a pound and 1.5 pounds per breast — but for those with D-cups or larger, each side can weigh 3 pounds or more. 'If your bra doesn't distribute weight effectively, your shoulders and neck end up doing all the work,' McKeen said. That uneven load can lead to a laundry list of issues, including poor posture, neck and back pain, tension headaches and even long-term spinal misalignment. 5 Bree McKeen launched Evelyn & Bobbie in the US in 2019. Evelyn & Bobbie Advertisement 'It's especially true for women with fuller busts, who carry meaningful weight on their chest every day,' McKeen said. She knows firsthand. As a curvy woman with a 34G cup, she struggled for years with aching shoulders, tension headaches and posture issues from wearing underwire bras before founding Evelyn & Bobbie. #2 Strap attack You wouldn't carry a bag of sugar around your neck with a shoestring, right? Advertisement 'That's what a lot of women are essentially doing every day,' McKeen said. 'Ouch!' The straps of a poorly designed bra, she explained, can dig into the nerves that run from your neck and shoulders down to your arms. 'Over time, that can cause tingling, numbness or shooting pain — something many women live with daily and never trace back to their bra,' McKeen said. 5 Underwire bras, while providing support, can have several drawbacks, according to McKeen. Vitalina – #3 Lymph lock Traditional underwire bras — especially tight or ill-fitting ones — can squeeze the tissue around your breasts and underarms, McKeen said. That squeeze can restrict blood flow and interfere with the lymphatic system, which plays a key role in fighting infections and balancing fluids in your body. 'There is virtually no research on the impact of restricting lymph around the breast, so I'm a little cautious when it comes to this topic,' McKeen said. 'But what we do know is that lymphatic flow is critical for our tissues to detox properly.' Advertisement After surgery, doctors often recommend wire-free bras to reduce swelling and speed healing. 'Why not just wear that every day?' McKeen asked. 'I personally want a bra that doesn't restrict my natural physiology.' #4 Irritants and invaders Common allergens like latex, nickel and spandex often sneak into bras and can irritate your skin, causing symptoms like itchiness, redness, swelling and rashes, McKeen said. She also warned that some bras contain toxic materials that can transfer directly onto your skin. Advertisement 5 Evelyn & Bobbie makes bras that offer support without the underwire. Jenna Saint Martin One major culprit: Bisphenol A (BPA), a common chemical found in some fabrics that has been linked to health concerns such as asthma, heart disease, obesity and hormone disruption. In 2022, the Center for Environmental Health found that sports bras from top brands exposed wearers to up to 22 times the 'safe' BPA level. 'I'll take BPA-free bras, please,' McKeen said. 'I don't drink out of cheap plastic water bottles, and I don't put that on my skin either.' Advertisement #5 The emotional load This one's often ignored — but it hits deep. 'Wearing something that hurts or digs or reminds you all day long that your body doesn't fit the mold … and that takes a toll,' McKeen said. 'The discomfort can be distracting, exhausting, even demoralizing.' Studies back it up: women who suffer physical bra pain often report more anxiety and lower self-esteem. Advertisement 'Here's the deeper truth: What you wear against your body every day matters,' McKeen said. 'Not just for your physical health — but for your confidence, your energy, your ability to show up fully in your life.' 5 Underwires can dig into the skin, causing pain and pressure marks. New Africa – What's the worst bra for your health? 'Unfortunately, it's the kind that's been marketed to us as the 'gold standard:' the traditional underwire push-up bra,' McKeen said. That style, she explained, unnaturally forces breast tissue upward and inward using a flat piece of steel — all while putting pressure on vital lymphatic drainage pathways. 'The underwire also digs into delicate tissue and is often placed directly over the inframammary fold, where many women develop cysts or pain,' McKeen said. 'Many times, I've seen actual scars on full-busted women from the constant pressure and chafing,' she noted. Plus, McKeen said, this design leaves the straps and band doing all the heavy lifting, leading to shoulder grooves, back pain and constant adjusting all day long. 'At Evelyn & Bobbie, our mission is bigger than bras,' McKeen said, pointing to their patented technology that delivers support without underwires. 'It's about restoring dignity to the daily experience of being a woman. It's about listening to your body, honoring its needs, and refusing to settle.'
